Like A Heart Without Love
by MissteressSnape
Summary: What if Jareth never really wanted the child? This is an answer to a challenge issued on a borad I belong to.


Like A Heart Without Love  
  
Outside her window the world has grown as quiet as a sleeping babe. Sarah watches the darkness and the spiraling snow, as if willing it to lull her to sleep.  
  
There isn't one night that her sleep has not been restless because Jareth was always there just on the horizon. All of her dreams are there for the taking; yet as Sarah tries to reach for them duty holds her back.  
  
At first she tried counting sheep, and even warm milk. But the getting to sleep part wasn't the problem; it was that damn dream. Night after night for the past five years it has been the same. And Sarah knows that this evening it will be no different.  
  
Slowly, as if being sucked down by quicksand, sleep takes hold of her. Sarah has no fight left. If she really could look inside herself she would have seen that she really didn't mind seeing him each night. In fact, lately she was actually looking forward to it. A cacophony of questions buzz around in her mind as sleep takes hold.  
  
There is a darkness so thick around Sarah that she feels it might crush her. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, the faint outline of a man appears across the oubliette. Oh, yes that is where Sarah is; she would bet her life on it. After all she comes here every night. She would know it if she were blind.  
  
Between them this has grown into a game of wills. Each evening Jareth comes to her, always tempting. He is unrelenting in his demands, each evening it seems his power over her grows stronger.  
  
Slowly Jareth steps out of the shadows in the alcove, bringing forth a crystal, he throws it to where he once stood. Where there once was a damp darkness, there is now a blazing fire. It pushed the darkness from the room and Sarah's heart.  
  
"Sarah, are you still as stubborn as before?" His dual colored eyes were alight with mockery.  
  
"What is it you seek to offer me now?"  
  
"Why, your dreams. Nothing more." In his outstretched hand there sat a crystal.  
  
This scene was all too familiar to Sarah. Once she would have given anything to take what he was offering to her. Now she wasn't so sure. Her duty to Toby and her pride would never allow her to give into his selfish demands.  
  
Why did it always come to this? Jareth knew that soon she would give into his demands; it was inevitable. Yet, there was a pang of guilt in his heart at having to say these things to her night after night. He didn't want to guilt her into admitting her love for him.  
  
"Sarah, give up this game. Set us free from this nightmare." Although it was a command, there was pleading just below the surface.  
  
"So I should just give Toby to you, in trade for my dreams? No, Jareth! I beat you once I will do it again."  
  
"And just how do you think you will get out of this oubliette? There is no way out save for me, my dear."  
  
No, that wasn't possible. Sarah would never seek Jareth for help.  
  
A silence hung between them, as Jareth stalked closer to her. His movements slow and silent every inch the predator, Sarah knew was hidden beneath the surface.  
  
Jareth closed the distance between them in a matter of steps. As a shiver ran through her body, Sarah realized that he was just too close.  
  
"Do I frighten you?" A cruel smile curved his lips.  
  
Sarah wasn't going to answer him. He knew damn well what he did to her, and if he didn't then he was either blind or stupid. When he was in the room her world seemed to shrink to just him. This was wrong no matter how Sarah sliced it; yet there was something inside her that wouldn't let the object of her childhood fantasies go. Although she never thought of anything childish when it came to Jareth.  
  
A slight blush crawled up her neck to her face. She couldn't shake the image of Jareth loving her. Sarah could almost feel his mouth against her skin.  
  
He circled her like a shark that scented blood in the waters. Jareth placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning in close to her ear. "You cannot run from me forever." His words held an unspoken threat; yet it enticed her in an odd way.  
  
She shook her head clear of these thoughts. "I want my brother back." Sarah wanted to groan at the childish sound of her voice. Why did she insist on asking for Toby, when she knew it was only a dream?  
  
"Don't you see, Sarah, this was never about the child?" Jareth didn't let the fact that he had read her thoughts sink in. "This is about giving you your dreams."  
  
He stepped away from her and formed another crystal upon his fingertips. Releasing it from his grip, it slowly dropped to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. There before them stood a looking glass, inside it was her parents' room.  
  
Jareth raised his arm and gestured toward the glass. "See, my dear, there is the babe. I promise you that he is safe. No harm will come to him. Just give in and end our suffering."  
  
He held her captive with his beautiful gaze. Nothing seemed right anymore. There seemed to be a weight in her heart since that night so long ago in the Escher room. There was something unfinished, new and unexplored but dark and mysterious pressed inside her. There was a hole she felt, emptiness and that emptiness begged to be filled.  
  
Tentatively Sarah drew near to him, reaching up to touch his God like face. He was beautiful, like a song written by the hands of God. For the first time in five years she could admit that Jareth was beautiful.  
  
There was a need growing deep inside of her and before Sarah could stop herself she was leaning into him. Her face a breath away from his. Jareth felt it feather light against his face. Sarah's scent like jasmine filled his senses.  
  
Jareth closed the distance between their mouths. It was like lightning, and fire racing through her veins. He turned her blood to quicksilver. His kiss was soft. Gentle. Sarah knew he was holding back all the passion he felt in his heart.  
  
Knowing he feared scaring her off, she leaned into him. Even through the layers of clothing they wore she felt the heat of him. A soft moan escaped her, causing Jareth to drag her closer to him, and deepen the kiss. He parted her lips and took her with his tongue.  
  
There was a battle for dominance between them. He was swift. And she met his pace. Their tongues sliding. Teeth nipping. Teasing. Threatening to drive each other to the point of no return.  
  
The fire was burning too hot, too fast for Sarah. Slowly, as if the break of contact pained her she pulled away, just enough to look into his eyes.  
  
"I am ready, Jareth. Ready to tell you I love you. I always have." A single tear escaped her eye, and Jareth drew her to him as if to shelter her from the world.  
  
"Sarah, I have waited a long time to here you say that. Too long. Now that I have you I don't intend on letting you go." A soft breeze brushed against them and extinguished the lights, enveloping them in darkness. When the breeze stopped and the oubliette was filled with light again, they were gone. The room once filled with magic and love; was now shuttered and dank like a heart without love.  
  
This was written in answer to a challenge that called for:  
  
1) Oubliette 2) 2 crystals 3) The line "Don't you see, Sarah, this was  
never about the child?" 4) Fireplace like alcove 5) no way out accept Jareth 


End file.
